CÉGEP DE L'ABITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE
Flight training techniques: A new Attestation of College Studies will be created

The Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Centre québécois de formation aéronautique (CQFA or Québec Flight Training Centre) and Cégep de Chicoutimi are uniting to offer a new Attestation of College Studies (ACS/AEC in French) to train mainly indigenous aircraft pilots from the Winter 2020 Semester onward.

Sylvain Blais, Director General of the Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Steeve Noreau, Director of the Centre de formation aéronautique du Québec (CQFA), Marc Bertrand, Director of Continuous Education and International Services and André Gobeil,  Director General of the Cégep de Chicoutimi. Photo : Karine Aubin
 

This new program, which lasts two years, is titled ACS in Flight and Instrument Training for Multiengine Aircraft and Seaplanes; it will be taught by the Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue, CQFA and a private aviation service provider. The latter will be selected rigorously before January 2020 and supervised by the CQFA for the flight portion of the training to ensure that the standards and quality which have made the reputation of the national institute for nearly a half century are upheld.

For its part and among other things, the Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue will take charge of recruitment, supervision, follow-up and success support of our future college students and pilots.

The main goal is to train indigenous pilots to answer the current and future human resource needs of numerous airline companies that serve not only the northern Québec territory but also the world.

"It is with great pride that we are launching this new program, which will have a positive impact on the recruitment of new pilots. We mainly want to continue to offer training in this discipline, which leads to an Attestation of College Studies, to the indigenous students of Québec. Our college has vast expertise in teaching these students, and our partners also recognize this asset," explains Sylvain Blais, Director General of the Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

Let us recall that in the autumn of 2018, the Québec Ministry of Education and Higher Education invested the sum of $106,000 in collegiate institutions in l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Chicoutimi to assess the feasibility of development of an ACS (AEC) program offer in flight training in this province.

André Gobeil, Director General of the Cégep de Chicoutimi, is delighted about the partnership with the Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue and CQFA. "As a cégep, our primary mission is to educate and respond to the training needs of the various communities of the Québec territory. In such a context, we can only be thrilled to see that the meeting of expertise of both of our colleges is recognized to ensure the development of specialized competencies in flight training through this unique program offered in priority to indigenous communities," indicates Mr. Gobeil.

Inasmuch as CQFA Director Steve Noreau is concerned, this project falls perfectly within the scope of the diversification strategy of the National Institute of the Cégep de Chicoutimi. "The CQFA has been training pilots who work all over the world for 50 years, and its reputation no longer needs to be established. This new ACS in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region will be a way to extend our know-how and guarantee its quality to these new pilots who come mainly from First Nations peoples," specifies Mr. Noreau.

Furthermore, new avenues will be possible for future graduates of this ACS from now on. If they want to do so, they may continue their program for a duration of eight months in the Diploma of College Studies (DCS or DEC in French) in Flight Training at the CQFA of the Cégep de Chicoutimi.

Holders of a DEC in another field of studies will also have the opportunity to register for the ACS in Flight Training at the Val-d'Or Campus. They will be allowed to continue their studies in Chicoutimi if they wish to do so to complete their diploma in this field. All graduates must then register for and succeed the mandatory examination of Transport Canada to be able to practise their profession.

"The Val-d'Or Campus quickly became central to the solution," recalls Director of Continuing Education and International Services Marc Bertrand. "This program will be bilingual and taught in part in the old administrative offices of the Val-d'Or Regional Airport," adds the director.

Please note that new graduates will have accumulated 210 hours of flight at the end of this ACS.